Breakthrough medical findings could make it easier to detect Alzheimer's disease sooner, and the study was led by researchers right here in Arizona.
What we know:
It is a medical breakthrough 15 years in the making. A collaborative, international study led by researchers at Banner Health has now discovered a way to detect Alzheimer's disease using a routine blood draw.
What's New?:
Dr. Nicholas Ashton, senior director of the fluid biomarker program at Banner Health, says the findings improve a previously used blood test by reducing the possibility of false positive results.
"It's a more accurate test. More accurate tests mean people are going to get a more accurate diagnosis, and they're going to get treated earlier," Ashton said.
The refined blood test measures for the brain-derived protein phosphorylated tau 217, or p-tau 217, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease. Currently, Alzheimer's diagnoses mostly come from a PET brain scan, which isn't widely accessible.
"It's an expensive technique, it's infrequent to get it and there's a huge delay. Nobody wants to wait six to 12 months to say they have Alzheimer's disease, or worse, that it wasn't Alzheimer's disease, and we could've done something about it," Ashton said.
Cut Costs:
While the cost of the refined blood test is still being determined, Dr. Ashton says it will still be a fraction of the cost of a brain scan, with results coming back within weeks instead of months.
"What the blood test does, it does exactly the same thing, but it does it much, much faster, much, much cheaper," Ashton said.
Why you should care:
He and fellow researchers are hopeful this new diagnostic tool can lead to early detection.
"That's critically important because that means we can treat people more effectively, we can manage symptoms more effectively knowing when it's Alzheimer's disease or not," Ashton said.
Big picture view:
This could lead to an improved quality of life for those living with the disease.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Dr. Nicholas Ashton, senior director of the fluid biomarker program at Banner Health.